Underground City on Wolin Island

The Świnoujście Underground City is a corridor stretching out over a kilometer under the Wolin dunes, creating a network of passages, underground shelters and several dozen smaller rooms. The underground city, under the aegis of the Museum of Coastal Defense, is open to the public.

The history of the underground city dates back to 1935-1938, when the first German fortifications, known as the Vineta Battery, arose. It consisted of four 150 mm caliber cannons weighing 6 tons each, equipped with 6 m barrels. The loading capacity of the cannon was then 15 meters. During World War II, the cannons were replaced with newer ones, and the equipment was supplemented with a radar. The battery was used, among other things, to train German Kriegsmarine artillery.

The cannons were blown up in 1945, and the complex was taken over by the Polish army, which, however, only in the 1950s found use for the facility. After refurbishment, it served as a backup command post for the highest military authorities. During this period, underground corridors were also expanded and supplemented with sanitary facilities, communication systems, apartments and other amenities. Today, the Underground City is one of the last buildings of this type in Poland.